Local tenure rules will remain — for now

Although some teachers are celebrating a judge’s ruling that changes to their tenure rules are unconstitutional, local school officials said nothing will change immediately.

Matthew AlbrightStaff Writer

Although some teachers are celebrating a judge’s ruling that changes to their tenure rules are unconstitutional, local school officials said nothing will change immediately. Passed by the Legislature last year, the changes proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal made it harder for teachers to earn tenure. Tenure has tight bureaucratic restrictions that make it much more difficult to fire a teacher who has it. Previously, teachers automatically earned tenure after three successful years in the classroom, according to Lafourche personnel supervisor Louis Voiron. As of July 1, 2012, a teacher who didn’t already have tenure is required to earn a rare “highly-effective” rating on the state’s new teacher evaluation system in five out of six years — a difficult feat. Teachers who already had tenure before that date kept their tenure. Any teacher who receives an also-rare “ineffective” rating would lose their tenure.The judge did not rule Monday on the merits of the changes themselves. He only ruled that the Legislature had unconstitutionally passed unrelated measures within one bill. State lawyers have vowed to appeal the decision. That means that for the time being, the new system remains in place.“I don’t think this changes anything for a Lafourche Parish teacher right now,” Voiron said. “Until we get a ruling from the state Supreme Court, the current policy will remain in effect.” Terrebonne Parish Superintendent Philip Martin said the same is true in his school system. “As of tomorrow, nobody’s life changes because of this,” Martin said. “Down the road? Maybe. But who knows what will happen?”Because the judge’s ruling was based purely on procedural grounds, both supervisors said it was possible the Legislature could simply re-instate the changes by passing the bills separately. “We have to sit back and see what happens,” Voiron said. “I would imagine we’ll be looking at some similar bills coming down in the coming session.”Still, many teachers saw the decision as good news. “I think teachers can’t help but feel what happened was wrong, and that is correcting those wrongs,” said Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.Monaghan said many teachers thought the new tenure rules, like the other changes passed last year in the Legislature, were approved too quickly for teachers or legislators to understand what they meant. He said the judge’s ruling means the Legislature will likely take up the issue again this year, which will give both lawmakers and teachers more of a chance to talk about it.“This is not just a technical complaint for us. When a bill is cluttered with different objects and the bills are passing so quickly, there’s no opportunity for us to talk about it,” Monaghan said. “This system was foisted on us, and we’re glad to see that we’re getting a chance to do this fairly.”

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

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